Chapter three

Did she really abhor me this much? What could have been my offence for her to develope this much hatred for me? When she has no interest in this marriage, why then did she agreed to it? She love someone else and she married me? What does she take me for? A fool? 

He was so much in love with his wife and yet she betrayed him, He finally made up his mind, he will look for her no matter where she runs to,he will make sure he finds her and ask why she had to lie,why she had to deceive him,why she had to cheat him. Is this how she had plan to ruin everything for him? Why would she leave him and run away with a man? Yes, he saw a glimpse of the guy's face. Fuck! I'm even more handsome than that guy! And I'm sure, I'm also more richer than him! 

Then what was I lacking? 

"Abdul this is not the right time for this,we need to look for your wife ASAP. This is not funny, you know that?" His friend Abubakar said.

"Of course I know this is not funny,how could this be funny when I got married to my wife yesterday and she ran off with another man today. How is that funny, tell me?!" He angrily replied him. Abubakar didn't take it to heart,he knows what he's going through right now and he understood him.

"Please just calm down. You can't just seat haggardly here. You need to do something fast.

"I swear to God, if I should lay my hand on that boy, I'm going to squeeze him to death. I'll make him regret ever taking my wife away from me" he threatened.

"Well,that should be for him and not for me... you know" Abubakar replied as he chuckled but receive a deadly glare in return.

•

It been more than three hours and she's still no were to be found. Rasheed and his friends had tried their best to look for her but the outcome was still the same thing,which makes the situation much worst. Abdul had been thinking of how to drop this information to her parents "how will they handle it?" He thought. Most especially her Mom, she just got back from hospital last three weeks. What if, he went there and tell them about their betrayal daughter? Things will even get much worst than before.

"Yes, you may be right,but that doesn't mean her parent shouldn't know about this?" Abubakar answered.

"You were saying everything out loud" he said again after seeing the look on his friend's face.

"I can't hold it anymore, I need to tell her parent" he said trying to get up.

"Hey! hey! Wait a minute. You're going to tell her parent?" Qasim asked.

"Of course, what do you want me to do? To sit and keep believing that everything is fine? Her parents are there thinking that everything is fine here with us. Meanwhile, it's the opposite...stop thinking stupid Qasim" he groaned out of frustration.

"OK then, let go " he said and Qasim nod in agreement as they all left for Zuwairah's house.

•

"What? What do you mean by 'she ran away?' " her father asked out of astonishment. Rasheed and his friends are already here,and he explained everything to them.

This new information of Rasheed got Dauda surprised. His daughter would never do such thing, for that he believes in. But him coming here to their house, telling him that his daughter elope with a stranger is totally unacceptable by him. If he's not interested in his daughter, it better he say it than lying.

"Look here Rasheed,I understand you, I'm also a man. In fact, I talked to Zuwairah about this before your marriage, this is what I've been fearing for. I talked to her and pleaded her if you two had decided to get married and, she told me you two were both in love with each other, I believed her. But you coming here, telling me absurd things about my daughter is totally not acceptable, I won't accept that from you. How dare you insult my family like this Rasheed? How dare you?! I treated you like my own son! how could you betray our trust? In just a night, you became tired of my daughter and now, you are lying that she ran off with a man? A stranger to be precise!"

"Please believe me father. I promise, I didn't do anything wrong walahi. This was what happened. Rasheed narrate everything to them whilst everywhere became silent all of a sudden.

"Zu....Zuwairah did all of this?" Her mom asked in tears.

"Yes Mom, which I don't know the reason why she did so,I really don't know why she changed?"

"Now I get it!" Her aunty exclaimed which made her get everyone's attention.  

"So, this is what she had been trying to do when she came to me" she thought

"What do you mean by 'now you get', what happened?"

"Brother!"

"Please and please Fatima,you need to speak up,this is not the time for joke!" Her brother scolded.

"Of course, I know this is not a joke brother,and I know what I'm talking about. Actually, she came to me yesterday"

"Hey! you aren't dressed yet?" 

"Erm yes Aunty I haven't, but I will soon" 

"Aunty you see, I've always wanting to ask you this question...What if may be... may God forbid Okay?" Her Aunty nod in anticipation "What if, may be on a wedding day, the wife refuse to push through with the wedding? Is that OK?"

"What! That's impossible. It can't be possible and can never be possible! I haven't heard something as absurd as that before in my life. What happened? Why are you asking?" 

"Erm....nothing... Nothing, I was just asking you know, just to know....so you mean even if I were to be the one who wanted to do something as such, you all won't give in your support?" Zuwairah asked her again.

"No way dear, we'll never support such things which I trust you. You can never think of something as drastic as that,coz you love your man right?"

"Yeah, right" she replied nodding her head with an awkward smile on her face.

"Okay then, I think I should leave you to dress up" 

"Yeah and you too...you know, you're the bride and this is your day"

"What?!! Why didn't you tell us? Why are you saying this now?!" He angrily clamored at her, whilst his wife fell on the chair due to shock and fear. She fears if she'll ever set her two eyes on her daughter anymore. She can't believe their precious daughter could deceive them this much.

"Actually Abba...." Zulaiha who was Zuwairah's friend, hesitated to talk.

"Please speak my child,what do you want to say?"

"Actually-"

"Do you know the person she elope with?" He asked and she nod her head in positive.

"Actually, she...she-" she was still stuttering when Mrs Hauwa Galadima walked in. She's a definition of beauty. She's the immediate sister of Zuwairah's Father,she doesn't tolerate nonsense,every person in the family fears her especially Zuwairah's mother,she never prayed to cross paths with her and will never do. She behaves anytime she's around them. Even though, she's the junior sister to Mr Dauda,she gives rule of most of the things pertaining the family issue,even Mr Dauda don't have choice sometimes but to accept whatever terms she brings.

She is really a definition of beauty,trouble,sassy and classy.

"Hello everyone!" She cheered in as she took her sit. She placed her bag gently beside her on the other chair.

"Hey! What's happening here? Can someone explain to me why is everyone's face this flat? Huh?" She asked smiling and immediately her face came in contact with Rasheed,she raise her eyebrow in question.

"And you? What are you doing here?" She asked him, frowning her face a little bit.

"Actually sister in-law,he-" Zuwairah's Mom tried talking but she cut her off.

"I wasn't talking to you Hadiza" she said, giving her a fake smile. Then, she turn to Rasheed "I'm talking to him. So tell me, what are you doing here?"

"Actually Aunt, I...I..you see,I..."

"You,you...you what?"

"Zuwairah ran away this morning"

"What?!!!!"

"What did you just say? Who ran away? Zu... Zuwairah do what?" She tried to ask  again,she can't just believe what she just heard.

"Zuwairah elope with a strange guy this morning"

"What?!!!  She ran away with a guy? But why? Wait a minute! that shouldn't be the question for now. What about my money?!" She said glaring at everyone in the room.

"What money are you talking about?" Mr Dauda asked, eyeing her.

"I'm serious here brother! I spent a lot of money on this wedding. I invited many people from America,Europe, Germany, Ghana, United Kingdom and even from Malaysia! I spent a lot on this wedding brother! The food! The decoration! And now,the second day of the wedding I'm hearing this that your daughter elope with a man?! How dare she run away after spending my money!!"

"Please and please Hauwa,you need to stop all of this your stupidity! Please! We are all here talking about my daughter and you're complaining about your money? Well for your information, no one forced you to pay for anything! No one asked you to invite people all over the country,you did that on your own will! Please... if you can't help in this situation, just leave please!!"

"Fine! Fine! I'll leave,but don't think this is over, I'll surely come back,and just pray to the Almighty that, that useless daughter of yours is back by then,if not! I swear, I will sue her to court. Good day! " she said as she glance at everyone, eyeing them one by one before she hiss and walk out of the room